By Xiomara Moore

DOVER — City Councilmember Dr. Roy Sudler Jr. announced Monday, Sept. 14, that the city’s remaining $68,000 of Delaware Opioid Settlement Commission funds will be allocated to a youth-focused skit program about opioid use disorder.

The decision — made by the Mayor’s Blue Ribbon Opioid Use Disorder Task Force — comes after a Thursday letter to Sudler from Capital School District superintendent Dr. Victoir Cahoon, who wrote that the district will also be supporting the skit initiative, titled “Unveiling Dover: Our Voices Our Recovery — Breaking the Chains of Opioid Use Disorder.”

“The Capital School District recognizes the importance of educating and empowering young people to make healthy, informed decisions and of creating opportunities for their voices to be heard on issues affecting their families and communities,” the letter continued.

“The Taskforce’s proposed use of youth voice, creative expression, theatre art, and other forms of communication offers an opportunity to engage young people in meaningful conversations surrounding prevention, wellness, resilience, and the impact of opioid use disorder on our community.”

Sudler said the plan is to have 10-15 videos about the harms of opioid use made by Capital School District and Delaware State University mass communication students, then shared via TikTok.

The skits would subsequently be turned into a full play, to be performed at the Schwartz Center for the Arts.

The effort is still in the planning phase, with a proposed production date around mid-January 2027.

Sudler says the hope is that the videos and play reduce opioid use.

“I’m excited. This is what the task force has deemed a gap in services when dealing with opioid use and addiction,” he continued. “There’s a lot of (resources) for adults, but there’s not a lot for youth and young adults.”